Debates of Jan. 31st, 2022

(Return tabled)

Question No.108—

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

With regard to the government's National Housing Strategy: (a) what is the total number of housing units that have resulted from the strategy, broken down by program, funding envelope, and project; and (b) for each project in (a), what is the status of their progress, broken down by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's approach for tracking and reporting on a project through its four different phases, including (i) conditional commitment, (ii) financial commitment, (iii) construction or repair underway, (iv) completed?

(Return tabled)

Question No.109—

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

With regard to government projections on the impact of inflation and rising interest rates on homeowners: (a) what are the government's projections and analysis related to the impact that higher prices on essential goods, due to inflation, will have on the ability of homeowners to make mortgage payments; (b) does the government have any estimates on how many homeowners won't be able to make their mortgage payments as a result of inflationary pressures, and, if so, what are the estimates; (c) does the government or the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have any projections related to the average increase in mortgage payments as a result of future interest rate increases, and, if so, what are the projections; and (d) does the government have any estimates related to the number of homeowners who will be unable to afford their mortgages as a result of future interest rate increases and, if so, what are those estimates?

(Return tabled)

Question No.110—

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

With regard to the government’s decision to “set a national emission reduction target of 30% below 2020 levels from fertilizers,” as laid out in Environment and Climate Change’s 2020 plan entitled “A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy“: (a) what is the full list of “manufacturers, farmers, provinces and territories”, as defined by the “A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy“ plan, that were consulted about this decision prior to the release of the plan; (b) what are the details of all consultations which were held regarding the economic impact of this decision prior to the release of the plan, specifically on the agricultural sector and food production; and (c) what is the full list of “manufacturers, farmers, provinces and territories”, as defined by the “A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy“ plan, that have been consulted regarding the economic impact of this decision from December 2020 to the present?

(Return tabled)

Question No.111—

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

With regard to the economic impact of the COVID-19 negative molecular test requirement for fully vaccinated travelers on the tourism industry in Alberta: (a) what was the number of foreign international travelers who arrived at the land border crossings in Alberta, broken down by month since the border opened for non-essential arrivals on August 9, 2021; (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by point of entry; (c) what was the number of international travelers who arrived at each point of entry in Alberta, broken down by month in the year prior to the border closure in March 2020; (d) does the government have an estimate on the amount of lost tourism revenue in Alberta as a result of the test requirement for vaccinated travelers and, if so, what is the estimate; and (e) what estimates or projections does Parks Canada or Destination Canada have related to the lost revenue as a result of the test requirement on tourism and revenue levels in Banff National Park, in particular as it relates to the 2021-22 ski season?

(Return tabled)

Question No.112—

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

With regard to the labour shortage problem and delays in obtaining work permits for foreign workers: (a) how many foreign workers are waiting for a response (i) in Canada, (ii) for the province of Quebec, (iii) in the riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier; (b) what time frame does the government deem acceptable for ensuring that a work permit is obtained for a foreign worker; (c) what is the current time frame for work permits for foreign workers in each province; (d) has the government found solutions to its major breakdown with Service Canada that is causing significant delays in the delivery of work permits for foreign workers and, if so, what are they; (e) what is the cause of Service Canada’s computer glitches with foreign worker files; and (f) does the government have any analysis of changes in the labour shortage and, if so, what is the government’s estimate of the labour shortage over the next 10 years?

(Return tabled)

Question No.113—

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

With regard to the impact of labour shortages on Canadian fruit growers and fruit processors: (a) what are the government's estimates on the shortage of workers during the 2021 fruit harvesting season, broken down by region; (b) what was the estimated loss of yield or production in the Canadian fruit industry in 2021 as a result of labour shortages, broken down by region and crop; and (c) will (i) Immigration and Refugees and Citizenship Canada, (ii) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, take specific actions to ensure that the Canadian industry doesn't face another labour shortage in 2022 and, if so, what are they?

(Return tabled)

Question No.115—

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

With regard to all contracts signed by the government where advance payments were made since February 1, 2020, broken down by department, agency, or other government entity: (a) how many such contracts were awarded; (b) what is the total value of those contracts; and (c) what are the details of each contract with advance payment, including the (i) date, (ii) description of the goods or services, including the volume, (iii) final amount, (iv) vendor, (v) country of the vendor?

(Return tabled)

Question No.118—

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

With regard to Canada Revenue Agency's (CRA) audit programs for businesses and particulars, since November 2015, broken down by year and by program: (a) how many audits were completed; (b) what is the number of auditors, broken down by category of auditors; (c) how many new files were opened; (d) how many files were closed; (e) of the files closed in (d), what was the average time it took to process the files before they were closed; (f) of the files closed in (d), what was the risk level of each file; (g) how much was spent on contractors and subcontractors; (h) of the contractors and subcontractors in (g), what is the initial and final value of each contract; (i) among the contractors and subcontractors in (g), what is the description of each service contract; (j) how many reassessments were issued; (k) what is the total amount recovered; (l) how many taxpayer files were referred to the CRA's Criminal Investigations Program; (m) of the investigations in (l), how many were referred to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada; and (n) of the investigations in (m), how many resulted in convictions?

(Return tabled)

Question No.120—

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

With regard to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), broken down by province and region and constituency: (a) how many Canadians experienced a reduction in their GIS in 2021, as a result of receiving income from a COVID-19 related financial support program, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit; (b) how many Canadians have applied for a reassessment of their GIS since their assessments were released in July 2021; and (c) how many GIS reassessment applications for 2021 have been successful, or are still in the process of review?

(Return tabled)

Question No.121—

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

With regard to international transfers of Canadian prisoners detained abroad: (a) how many applications has Canada approved over the past 10 years, broken down by year and by country where the applicant was being detained at the time of application; (b) how many applications has Canada denied over the past 10 years, broken down by year and by country where the applicant was being detained at the time of application; (c) how many applications for transfer to Canada were denied by the country where the applicant was being detained over the past 10 years, broken down by year and by country of origin of the application; (d) what are the conditions for applying for a transfer from Japan; (e) which article of the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons states that a sentenced person must have served one third of their sentence to be granted a transfer to Canada from Japan; (f) for all the transfer applications over the past 10 years, how much time, on average, elapsed between the transfer application and the transfer; (g) over the past 10 years, how many times has Global Affairs Canada intervened in favour of an accelerated transfer for a transfer application from a Canadian sentenced abroad; (h) over the past 10 years, how many administrative arrangements for transfer have been approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Public Safety; and (i) over the past 10 years, how many administrative arrangements for transfer has Canada signed with convention signatory countries?

(Return tabled)

Question No.122—

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

With regard to the government's plan to set a national emission reduction target of 30% below 2020 levels from fertilizers: (a) does the government accept MNP's analysis from September 2021 that cumulative lost production of canola could total approximately 151 million tonnes between 2023 and 2030, and if not, why not; (b) does the government have any analysis which is contrary to MNP's analysis, and if so, what are the details, including the findings; (c) what are the projected economic impacts on the domestic production of biofuels related to the lost production of canola or other biofuel crops for the period between 2023 and 2030; (d) has the government carried out any impact analysis study of absolute reductions of fertilizer (i) prior to making the announcement, (ii) after making the announcement, and if so, what are the details, including findings; (e) has the government carried out any impact analysis study of emissions intensity reduction from fertilizer prior to making the announcement, and if so, what are the details, including findings; and (f) will the government carry out an impact analysis study related to absolute reduction and emissions intensity reduction from fertilize before any such target or restriction is imposed, and if so, what are the details?

(Return tabled)

Question No.123—

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

With regard to the importation of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) into Canada and the government's concerns about current and future shortages of batteries for EVs: (a) what specific plans does the government have to improve the battery shortage faced by Canadian EV manufacturers; (b) does the government have any plans to ensure that more EV batteries are manufactured in Canada, and if so, what are the details of the plans, including the projected increase in the number of domestically manufactured batteries; (c) does the government's plan include an industry reliance on foreign produced EV batteries for Canadian manufactured vehicles, and if so, what percentage of the batteries in new Canadian EVs are expected to be foreign produced, broken down by each of the next five years; (d) what standards are in place to ensure that EV batteries imported to Canada are not made (i) from child labour, (ii) from forced labour, (iii) with materials mined by children or exploited workers; (e) have any EV batteries destined for Canada been intercepted by Canada Border Services Agency in the last five years due to concerns related to labour standards, and if so, what are the details; (f) what are the government's current assessments related to problems with the global supply chain associated with EV batteries; (g) what is the government's assessment of the impact that the United States' Buy American policy has on the shortage of batteries for Canadian EV plants; (h) what are the government's projections related to the number of new electric vehicles expected to be produced in Canada in each of the next five years; and (i) what are the government's projections related to the number of EV batteries which will be available to Canadian EV manufacturers in each of the next five years?

(Return tabled)